The Veteran
The Veteran
Alone he sits, ‘midst the chaotic room
The children, the colours, breaking the gloom
Watching and waiting, reliving the fear
Thinking of those he once held near and dear
The hurt and the pain, so clear in his eye
It’s a challenge to breathe as he tries not to cry
Memories of the past as fresh as the day
Silently, quietly, he chooses to pray
Slowly the others begin to arrive
The “wheelchairs’, the “walkers”, some barely alive
Decked out in their finest, their medals aglow
What goes on in their heads, only they know
The piper begins his tearful refrain
The hymns of the past, all over again
The struggle to stand is too much for some
“Stay seated, be honoured, your work is done”
“Learn from our suffering, avoid future pain”
“Don’t let our losses be suffered in vain”
Love one another, let’s pray peace will come
Thank you dear Veteran, our freedom you won
The ‘Why?’ Of The Poem
I wrote this poem on Remembrance Day in 2006 just 3 weeks into my employment at a Longterm care Facility which specialized in the care of Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces. Given that this was an aging population who were, for the most part unable to attend external community based Remembrance Day commemorations, we as a staff were privileged to bring the ‘honouring’ to them in their own home - our facility. This would be the first of many occasions where I experienced up close what it was like to be in a setting so fraught with the devastating emotions of the past. It was indeed an honour for me to both witness and serve such brave souls as they came to the end of their lives.
As a new employee, I was tasked with the role of ‘observer’ for the day in order to familiarize myself with the military protocol that was integral to the operation of the facility and would be part of my responsibility going forward.
Early that morning as staff and families were bustling around with last minute preparations, I noticed one particular Resident who was up early dressed and ready, complete with his freshly polished medals. He had tucked his wheelchair into a corner of the Main Hall and was intently taking in all the sights and sounds around him. There was something about his demeanour that touched something inside of me and as the proceedings unfolded throughout the morning these words came to me.
